Prior to the conception and development of the present invention, support devices, such as stepladders, ladders, and scaffolding, as is generally well known in the prior art, have been used to support people.
Specifically of interest to the present invention are the following: Fahey, U.S. Design Pat. No. D 518,348 discloses the ornamental design for an adjustable clamping device.
Weinfeld, U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,974, discloses a multiple portable support means for holding circuitry parts which are to be soldered or otherwise bound together.
Glesser, U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,011, discloses a tool or jig for holding a workpiece which includes a base having at least four arms joined at a common center and radiating outwardly at 90 degree angles to each other. The free end of each arm includes a clip for releasably holding the workpiece.
Mendola, U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,495, discloses an apparatus for clamping an object which includes a clamp having a resilient element to maintain the clamp in closed position in the absence of applied pressure, and a release mechanism. An arm with a cable encased by a plurality of tubular, cone shaped segments is attached to the release mechanism, which is in turn attached to the clamp and includes either coil springs or bow springs for maintaining tension in the cable when the clamp is in a closed position, and for releasing tension in the cable when the clamp is opened.
Murvine, U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,577, discloses a hobbyist's tool comprised of a grid-like base member containing a plurality of uniformly shaped and uniformly spaced apart peg openings into which adjustable, flexible arms may be attached.